Winning Young Designer of the Year and two gold medals at the Ellerslie International Flower Show was a dream come true for Open Polytechnic Horticulture Graduate, Bayley LuuTomes. However, nothing could have prepared Bayley for the news of being picked to represent New Zealand at the largest flower show in the world, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

“I thought it wasn’t real, it all happened so quickly,” says Bayley of finding out his design had been accepted for exhibition.

Bayley completed his National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4) through the Open Polytechnic in March this year and was still a student when he competed at the Elleslie International Flower Show in Christchurch.

Although Bayley has only been doing landscape design for five months, he will be exhibiting alongside senior, internationally renowned, landscape designers at the Hampton Court Palace show in London. But this hasn’t knocked Bayley’s confidence who says he is grateful and excited to have been given this incredible opportunity.

“I am very nervous but excited as this opportunity has enabled me to kick-start my journey as a landscape designer. I hope to do more shows and continue this journey,” he says.

Bayley will have just two weeks to create his design, ready for exhibition at The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, which runs from the 9 -14 July.

This will be Bayley’s second visit to London in a short duration. Only just last month he was invited to attend the Chelsea Garden Show in London where he was paired with a UK Gardener to help on his exhibition, amongst the spectators, her Royal Highness, the Queen.